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Small Biz Saturday Prep
So I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m the perfect example of someone who is always politically and ethically aware about how I spend my money. I could be a lot better. But in fairness to me, ahem, growing up the idea was survival so you bought clothes, food, whatever other needs as you could afford them and there wasn’t time/ability to think, “is this product right for me and my values?” I’m sure many can relate. But now, I don’t have much excuses in not thinking through how I spend my money, especially now that I can know what my purchase may support. That’s why as I’ve…
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Final Exam: It’s the Little Things That Make the Difference
It’s almost here—final exam season! Yikes I know so many of you are busy prepping outlines, studying, and figuring out your final exams. Over the weekend, I helped review some mock essays and want to offer the same bits of advice here. I’ve gone over (in video) mastering IRAC and how to handle emotions during the actual exam, but today I want to discuss the little things that trip you up and how to manage them. So, here are three things to remember while you take your exams: One. Pay attention to the detail. Good hypos have key important information that leads you to the answer. Read it carefully, notice…
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Do It Again: Overcoming the “Prove it Again” Bias at Work
A funny thing happens after you’ve been practicing law for a few years. While you are developing your skills and growing more confident about your talent, you start to sense other people being surprised at how great you perform. Almost too surprised… This is a phenomenon the Harvard Business Review calls “prove it again.” A cycle women experience where we’re not given credit for our potential. Instead, our capabilities are questioned more harshly and when we do deliver, those in charge need you to “prove it again” because obviously you’re past success was a fluke… It is exhausting and disheartening. A punch to the gut when you realize a respected…
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Side Bar: Spooky Scary
It’s November–yikes. I still have a few new year’s resolutions to meet (yes, I’m still keeping track because they’re on a ~vision board~ that stares at my face every morning. And I think I’m weird enough to try and get them accomplished before the end of the year. But before that, can I just say that October was crazy short. It was a whirlwind. Starting with work–we had Latinx heritage month celebrations, which are always super fun. I wasn’t able to do too much planning of it this year, but the events I went to were great. I had a lot of fundraising events to attend and that included an…
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Drawing the Line: Pushing Back Against Problematic Standards in the Law
Of the million and one things that were incredibly wrong with the Kavanaugh confirmations, one of the stories that jumped out at me was a story involving Amy Chua. Chua, of Tiger Mom fame, is a Yale Law School Professor and is um, well, somewhat problematic, to say the least. The story that made the rounds detailed how Chua allegedly instructed women law students on how to dress and style themselves to please Kavanaugh because he liked his clerks to look “a certain way.” She denies this, but many people have heard similar advice in their own school settings. And so this type of advice does happens to various extents–that…
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Push Yourself: Becoming Comfortable with Public Speaking
As attorneys, our ability to persuade is mostly dependent on our writing skills. There’s no such thing as a good lawyer who is a bad writer. But there are plenty of lawyers who are, well, trash at public speaking lol I don’t mean to be harsh, but speaking confidently in public setting is an art form. There are some that are naturally good at it, and those that loathe it. Those that hate it may look for opportunities that keep them away from having to speak on the record as much as possible. And while I don’t judge people who opt to keep as transactional caseload because they don’t want…
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American Like Me: A Book Review
On one of my first days of school in the U.S. a young boy approached me and asked: What color are you? I had never been asked this before and remember showing him my arm, confused that this poor boy didn’t know his colors and answered: I’m tan. Later when I told my mom what happened, she laughed and said if someone asks you that again just say you’re Mexican. Easy enough. However, as I grew up, I realized the complexities of race in the U.S. I grappled with my own cultural identity and picking the right “label.” It’s all so complicated and made more so by the fact that…
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Everyone Has Help: Why Kavanaugh’s Denials are a Detriment to our Profession
I got into Yale Law School. That’s the number one law school in the country. I had no connections there. I got there by busting my tail in college. You’ve probably heard that re-play of Kavanaugh’s hearing in his attempt to become a Justice. There are so many things that were a sloppy mess in this hearing, but for me, this was such an eye-opening statement. This is a man that comes from wealth, working and living with DC-elite, is a legacy student (aka White Affirmative Action) and yet he sat there and screeched he did this all on his own. He ignores every leg-up, privilege, assistance given to him…
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Don’t Hustle Backwards: Using Every Opportunity to Land Your Summer Job
As we get closer to job application season for 1Ls and 2Ls, it’s vital to remember that you must use every tool at your disposal to get the job you want. First, let me start by saying this profession and law school (and this country) does a fantastic job of claiming we succeed through merit. Success is given to those that earn it and deserve it, right? No. The idea that people get ahead by bootstrapping is a farce. People get ahead because systems are in place to ensure they get ahead. Then when people like us, women and people of color, push ourselves into this system they try to…
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A Spark: Books that Empower Latinas
So, the sad truth is there are many Latina authors, but they are not supported and very rarely get the same backing as other authors. That’s why it feels rare to read a book by Latinas. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve edited my social media followings to include mostly & primarily women of color. When I think about it, I realize it stems from my reading habits. Like most of you, I love reading and when I was little, the library was our refuge. My mom would take me to the local library and it would provide solace and peace away from homes that were, at times, tumultuous. I was…